


something sweet here

by orphan_account



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: But more fluff than angst, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Kara And Lena With A Baby, other characters to be added but expect mostly Kara and Lena with the baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-07 20:28:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8815189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: In which Lena and Kara adopt an alien baby, and Lena is more than a little insecure.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously Lena and Kara have been together for a while in this fic. I feel like that's the most necessary thing to know before reading.

_You are too good…_

 

Those were the words she had leaned on for awhile now, the mantra she’d taken to repeating to herself whenever her self-doubt would settle like dust on her heart. They were not her words—rather, they were _Supergirl’s_ ; the words of the woman she loved—but maybe that helped, too, in a certain way.

 

_You are too good and too smart to follow in her path._

 

Except Lena wasn’t so certain of her goodness or smartness right now, curled up in the doorway to the nursery with her knees tucked under her chin, dark hair down and cotton pajamas sliding off her shoulders. Lena wasn’t certain of anything right now.

 

She stared into darkness, eyes flitting over the silhouettes of furniture— _chair, dresser, crib, changing table_ —as they adjusted to the shadows within, before she sighed wearily, turning her face towards the bright light of the hallway again. She swallowed hard, gulped down that familiar melancholy like bitter medicine.

 

A little noise caught her attention, jolting her out of her own head. It was small—a little mewl, almost kittenish in its nature. Nonetheless, it forced her to her feet. She knew if she didn’t act quickly, the noise would become far less little.

 

She padded over to the crib as softly as she could. Her hands gripped the railing for a moment before she reached down to pick up the crib’s occupant. The baby— _Gabby_ , she was called _Gabby_ , Lena reminded herself—cried again, and Lena lifted her to her shoulder. “I know,” Lena whispered, smoothing a hand over the back of the infant’s bald head. Some unwelcome assembly of emotions formed something dense and heavy deep in her stomach, and she found herself biting her lip and bouncing the baby a little as she returned to the well-lit hallway. “I know,” she said again.

 

It had been six days since the little scrap had entered her life, tucked neatly into Supergirl’s arms, covered in dirt and deeply asleep. The baby was an alien, Supergirl explained, not that you could readily tell by looking at her. As she got older, it was likely she’d develop some kind of powers, but supposedly nobody would have to worry about that until the around onset of puberty. Until then, she would be just like a human child, apparently. NCPD and the DEO suspected foul play, worried about some sort of anti-alien hate crime, when the girl’s parents had been found dead. That was their main concern. Supergirl— _Kara_ had been more worried about the baby they’d left in their wake. (She herself was an orphan, after all.) (Lena, too, was sympathetic—as Kara knew she would be.)

 

Lena rested Gabby softly on the suede couch in her living room, tucking her up against a pillow so she wouldn’t accidentally squirm off the edge. “I’ll be right back,” she promised, quickly leaving to prepare the special alien formula Gabby required. Lena’s head ached. Her eyes felt heavy with exhaustion. Those dense, heavy feelings persisted. _How, exactly, have I gotten roped into this, anyway?_

 

She pushed the thought back as quickly as she could, spilling a little formula in her rush to cap the bottle. The aftertaste of the thought lingered as Gabby began to cry in earnest.

 

Lena hurried back over, almost tripping over her own feet in her haste. When she scooped up Gabby again, the baby only began to cry harder. Lena tried to settle herself and the fussy little thing in her arms comfortably on one end of her living room sofa, coaxing Gabby to drink from the bottle she’d prepared. Gabby wailed again, shoving the bottle away. “Come on,” Lena muttered, trying to put on the cheeriest voice she could muster. “You’re hungry, right, beautiful?”

 

Gabby only cried louder, face scrunched up and rapidly turning a deep purple-red. “Come on,” Lena repeated. Gabby screeched. Her little hands worked to push herself away from Lena.

 

Lena tried to rock Gabby back and forth. Gabby kicked Lena in the chest, wails growing louder.

 

“You’re gonna wake Kara,” Lena murmured, tension gathering in her shoulders.

 

Gabby screeched, chin dimpling and face purpling. Lena was unprepared for the little sob that bubbled up from her own chest, or the thought that accompanied it: _Six days in, Luthor, and you’re already just like your mother._

 

“I’m sorry,” she rasped, tears stinging in her eyes but refusing to fall. She may have clutched the baby just a little closer to her chest. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”

 

“Lena?”

 

 _Oh, great._ Kara was padding into the living room now, wrapped in a fluffy blanket and dressed in a loose t-shirt and fluffy socks printed with bunnies. Her blue eyes were squinty—a sign of her drowsiness, mostly, since Lena knew she didn’t actually need her glasses to see.

 

Kara continued: “Do you need help with her?”

 

It was then that Lena looked up slightly, enough for Kara to make out the desperation on her face. All the air seemed to leave Kara’s lungs at once as she breathed softly, “ _Oh, Lena._ ”

 

Lena blinked, and the tears dropped.

 

“Here, give her to me,” Kara said, using her super-speed to quickly settle herself next to Lena and Gabby. Lena wordlessly handed off the child, watched quietly as Kara effectively soothed and fed the little one, working some kind of maternal magic Lena clearly didn’t possess. Once Gabby was drifting to sleep again, Kara glanced up at Lena. “Are you okay?” Her voice was low and gentle, in the way where she already knew the answer was _no_.

 

“I’m out of my depth here, Kara,” Lena confessed in a whisper, hands clasped tightly in her lap and gaze pinned to the far wall. She wiped away another stray tear but didn’t lose her careful composure. Kara didn’t say anything and Lena allowed the moment of silence before she added, “I’m scared I’m just like her.”

 

Kara’s reply was swift and immediate. “You are _not—_ ” Kara began, leaning her head softly against Lena’s. “You are _nothing_ like Lillian Luthor. You’re just not, okay?”

 

Lena dropped her face to Kara’s shoulder and Kara readjusted Gabby so she could free an arm and use it to pull Lena closer.

 

“I thought earlier,” Lena murmured self-consciously, “that I had been _roped into_ caring for Gabby. And I hated myself for thinking it, but…” She shrugged a little helplessly. “And I was awake before she started crying. I didn’t know what to do. She wouldn’t eat. I thought… I thought maybe I scared her, somehow. That I screwed up.”

 

“She was being fussy,” Kara reassured her. She scratched gently at Lena’s scalp, and Lena made a small sound of content, nuzzling closer to her girlfriend. “Babies get like that, sometimes. That doesn’t reflect on you, and it certainly doesn’t make you your mother.”

 

Lena didn’t reply. She didn’t trust herself not to refute Kara or not to start crying in earnest. She loved Kara, she did, but she wasn’t sure she believed her.

 

They stayed like that for awhile: Lena curled up against Kara’s side, Kara playing with Lena’s hair, baby tucked in the crook of Kara’s other arm. After several long minutes passed, Lena’s eyes fluttered shut.

 

“I’m going to go put Gabby back,” Kara whispered. Lena lifted her head and nodded blearily, readjusting so she could lay on the couch once Kara was gone. A few minutes later, Kara was shaking her gently awake.

 

“Come on, sleepyhead,” Kara said with that soft, gentle smile of hers. “Let’s get you to bed, too.”

 

Lena groaned in protest as strong arms lifted her up off the couch, though she woke up a little more when she realized they were floating about a foot off the ground. Kara smirked, and when Lena met her eyes, Lena smirked, too, leaning in to press soft, tired kisses to Kara’s neck and the underside of Kara’s jaw. When Kara set her down on the bed, Lena sighed softly, slipping just as quickly under the covers.

 

“You’re not your mother,” Kara emphasized again, sliding in next to Lena after slipping off her fuzzy socks. She spoke in her knowledgeable, self-assured Supergirl voice, running her hand up and down Lena’s arm. “I love you, okay?”

 

Lena hummed.

 

“ _Okay?_ ” Kara repeated, pressing her cold toes to Lena’s shins under the covers. Lena winced and Kara giggled.

 

“Okay,” Lena replied with a little chuckle.

 

“I’m gonna keep telling you that every single day until you believe me,” Kara insisted. “Every. Single. Day.” She punctuated the words by pressing her cold feet into Lena’s shins again. “Okay?”

 

“Touch me with your clammy feet again, Kara Danvers, and I’m leaving you,” Lena threatened, though a hint of mirth had re-entered her voice.

 

“You’re deflecting. Say okay.”

 

“I just—” Kara wiggled her foot dangerously close to Lena’s leg. “Fine,” Lena muttered, rolling her eyes. “ _Okay._ Now go to bed.”

 

“Goodnight,” Kara sighed, lacing her fingers with Lena’s. “Love you.”

 

"Love you, too," Lena whispered, already drifting back to sleep.

 

The hard stone of uncertainty was still there, but warm and safe in her apartment with Kara next to her and the alien baby sleeping soundly again in the next room, it may have begun to loosen just a touch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone awhile back suggested doing another chapter where Lena has to calm the baby down, so here goes!

Gabriella Danvers was a little bit of a malcontent.

 

It wasn’t like she was necessarily an _unhappy_ baby, but it certainly did not take much to set her off. The threat of tears was always _just_ beneath the surface. As such, it made sense that a sick Gabby whose alien physiology didn’t react to medicines like Tylenol or Ibuprofen was a little bit of a powder keg.

 

That's why it didn’t surprise Lena at all when her midday phone call from Kara featured a screaming Gabby quite prominently.

 

“ _MAMA!_ ” Gabby’s voice pierced like a spear.

 

“Sweetie, I’m right here,” Kara mumbled, but Gabby only screamed louder.

 

“ _Mama_ …” she hiccupped again between gulping sobs.

 

“I don’t know what she wants,” Kara admitted over the phone, voice a little defeated. “I don’t know if she’s feverish or something…”

 

Lena sighed wearily. “I have one more thing I need to finish going over today, but I can cancel everything else and head straight home in about an hour and help you.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Positive,” Lena replied. On the other end of the line, Gabby sniffled loudly and choked out another sob.

 

“You’re a lifesaver,” Kara gushed. Another wailing call for “ _Mama!_ ” cut through their conversation and Lena could hear Kara wince. “Looks like I’m needed. Get home soon, okay?”

 

Lena rushed through correcting the numbers on one of too many spreadsheets and had the task done in closer to forty minutes, quickly dismissing Jess for the day and hurrying down to the parking garage. It took her another twelve minutes to get home, another five to hike up the stairs since the elevator in their building was broken. (Not that she was counting.) When she finally stepped through the door to her and Kara’s apartment, she was greeted by a tense quiet. She hurried to discard her purse and coat on the island counter, kicking off her heels as she went.

 

Lena found her family in the bedroom. Kara sat on the edge of their bed with Gabby in her lap. The baby whined helplessly, quietly, hands balled up into fists. She stared out the window, but though she didn't quite face Lena, Lena could tell her cheeks were pink with fever and sticky with tears.

 

“Hey,” Lena greeted, a little shy, from the doorway. Both her girls lifted their heads to look in her direction.

 

“Ohthankgod,” Kara sighed, standing up, at the same time as Gabby screeched “ _MAMA!_ ” again and erupted into a fresh bout of sobbing.

 

Kara stepped closer, brow furrowed deeply. “She obviously has been trying to tell me something all day, but I have no idea what she—”

 

“ _MAMA!_ ” Gabby lunged forward and if Kara were anything less than Supergirl, she might have stumbled with the force of the toddler’s sudden movement. Gabby leaned almost out of Kara’s grasp, little hands outstretched like a pair of starfish, grasping for Lena across the room. “ _Mama, please…_ ”

 

“—wants…” Kara trailed off, understanding dawning. A brilliant smile replaced her worried look. “ _Oh._ ”

 

Lena raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Kara had just figured out.

 

“Gabs, babe,” Kara cooed, bouncing the baby in her arms to break her singular focus on Lena, “are you telling me you want to be with your _other_ mama right now?”

 

Gabby choked out a sob, nodding vigorously and reaching one hand towards Lena again. Lena’s heart clenched a little.

 

“Okay,” Kara crossed the room in just a couple steps, tenderly depositing the baby into Lena’s (always just a little stiff and unsure) arms.

 

“Kara, I’m not sure how to help her,” Lena admitted, but Gabby was already burying her face in Lena’s neck, little hands running through the strands of her ponytail.

 

“Mama,” she sighed, nuzzling even closer so that her nose was pressed directly against Lena’s collarbone.

 

“You weren’t feeling good today, were you?” Lena asked softly, rubbing soft circles into Gabby’s shoulders. The year-old child shook her head into Lena’s collarbone. “Do you want to sit with mama while we watch some TV?” Gabby nodded, but tightened her arms around the back of Lena’s neck anyway, as though afraid Lena would set her down.

 

“Do you want me to bring you some juice?” Kara offered the child, sliding an arm around Lena’s waist. Gabby lifted her head and fixed Kara with a rather unpleasant look before shaking her head violently and burying her face back in Lena’s neck.

 

“Would you like _me_ to get you some juice?” Lena tried, and Gabby nodded against her.

 

“I’m gonna try not to be offended by that,” Kara muttered, pressing a kiss to Lena’s temple. “You got this?”

 

Lena nodded resolutely. “Only if you agree to sit with us on the couch.”

 

“Hmm.” Kara hummed, pressing closer against Lena’s back. “I think that could be arranged.”

 

The family moved quickly out into the living room, where Lena set Gabby down on the couch and was met with stern resistance.

 

“I’ll be right back, sweetheart,” Lena promised. “I’m going to get your juice, remember?”

 

Gabby made a little noise of frustration but let her go. Lena made quick work of preparing Gabby’s favorite juice—cranberry and apple mixed together—in her favorite green sippy cup, since Gabby had begun to sniffle pitifully again. She hurried back to the couch, slotting herself neatly into Kara’s side and handing Gabby her sippy cup. She placed a gentle, tender hand on the toddler's shoulders.

 

Gabby quickly pulled herself up enough to drape herself across Lena’s chest. Lena’s hands went to Gabby’s back, to hold her there. She nuzzled her face just a little closer to Gabby's head, breathing in the smell of her baby shampoo, and closed her eyes. Kara made a sound that sounded suspiciously like an “aw.”

 

Lena glanced up and, as suspected, Kara was indeed staring at her adoringly.

 

“What?” Lena asked, voice a little softer than usual as she hoped that Gabby was finally starting to drift off.

 

“You’re just cute,” Kara grinned, bumping Lena a little with her shoulder. “And you’re such a good mom.”

 

At this, Lena blanched. “Don't say things you don't mean, Kara. I'm not that good a mom.”

 

Kara fixed her with a funny look. “Call me crazy,” Kara insisted, “but I’m pretty sure that kid just cried _all day_ because she wanted to be with you so badly, and I don’t think she would’ve done that if you were anything but an amazing mom.”

 

“She’s sick,” Lena mumbled, as though that were a sufficient reason.

 

“Yeah, she is,” Kara replied with a strange grin. "So what? Doesn't change the fact that she's still a total mama's girl." When Lena didn't reply, Kara nudged Lena’s shoulder again. “Rao, give yourself some credit sometimes, babe. The kid _loves_ you!”

 

Lena’s arms tightened a little, hoisting Gabby up a little further onto her shoulder. Gabby stirred, groaned a little in frustration, and gently threaded a hand through Lena’s ponytail again before drifting to sleep again. One thing Lena would admit was that the kid definitely loved her _hair_ , but she wasn’t sure she would count that a victory in the grand scheme of her parenting.

 

“She loves you, and so do I,” Kara murmured. “You’re a great mom.”

 

“I should go put her to bed,” Lena muttered, suddenly eager to get some space from this conversation. Kara stilled her with a gentle but firm hand on her thigh, dropping her head to Lena’s shoulder.

 

“You can’t leave now,” Kara pouted. “We’re having family snuggle time!”

 

Lena must have looked spooked, though, because Kara sat up straight again and wordlessly drew Lena closer, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. Lena sighed, uncoiled just a fraction.

 

After several moments where the cartoon on the TV was the only sound in the room, Lena spoke again. “I don’t know what… hm.” She shook her head, and Gabby’s fingers twitched in her ponytail. Kara was studying her intently, eyes warm pools of blue behind the glasses she didn’t need.

 

“You don’t know what?” Kara finally prompted gently, voice barely a touch above a whisper. Lena readjusted the baby carefully into the crook of her arm so she could look at her face. Gabby’s eyes fluttered open for a moment and she whined loudly, but buried her face in Lena’s chest and fell immediately back to sleep. Lena allowed herself a moment to look tenderly at her daughter. ( _Daughter._ Even thinking the word still gave her pause.) “Lena?”

 

Lena tore her gaze away from Gabby’s too-pink face and met Kara’s gaze earnestly. “I don’t know what I did to deserve her… love, I suppose.” The confession felt a little heavy, but Lena had a wry smile on her lips. “And before you say anything, I don't mean that how I think you think I mean that. I just mean... I’m away at work more often than not. When I _am_ here, I’m never quite sure what to do with her. As a mother, I feel that I'm awkward, and fumbling, and guilty, and not always very warm. But she…” Lena shook her head, a little in awe, and ran a finger down the soft slope of Gabby’s nose. “She _does_ love me. Despite everything.”

 

“Of course she does,” Kara whispered, leaning in to kiss Lena on the cheek. “You’re kinda hard not to love, babe.”

 

“That’s biased reporting. Snapper will have your job for that.” Lena’s smile bloomed from something wry into something warm. “But thank you.”

 

“One of these days,” Kara murmured, kissing Lena again on the cheek, “you’re going to really believe me when I tell you how much Gabby and I love you.”

 

Lena turned her head a little so that Kara could kiss her properly. When she pulled away, their faces were still just a hairsbreadth apart. Lena raised an eyebrow.

 

“Are you sure it has to be family snuggle time right now?” Lena breathed. “Because if I put her to bed now, we can make out on the couch until she wakes up again. You can, hmm… _relax_ after the long day you had.” Lena's free hand had found its way to the top of Kara's thigh, and redness crept up Kara's neck.

 

Kara nodded quickly. “Yeah, um. Yes. That’s a—yes. Yes, you should put her to bed now.”

 

Lena may have been extra careful not to jostle or wake Gabby as she put her to bed for the afternoon. As she snuck back to the couch to make out with her beautiful girlfriend, she wondered not for the first and not for the last time how she’d gotten so lucky. And when Gabby’s cry of “ _MAMA!_ ” interrupted them not fifteen minutes later, Lena couldn’t even find it in her to be frustrated, because she knew she was so, so _loved._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I just wanted to write Cat with the baby.

The CatCo office was abuzz when Kara walked in. She had a box of to-go sticky buns in one hand, a latte in the other, and Gabby strapped to her chest, half-asleep. Something was clearly happening, though it was hard to hone in on one conversation with her superhearing long enough to actually figure out what was going on.

 

She got to her office, set her latte down, scarfed one of several sticky buns, and unclipped Gabby from her chest, folding up the baby carrier and leaving it next to her desk. It was on her way back out to the bullpen when she spied a familiar head of blond hair across the way.

 

“Cat! Oh my gosh, it’s really you!”

 

Cat turned. At first glance, she seemed ready to make some sort of snide comment—her usual reaction to being addressed directly by anyone—but when her eyes caught the baby in Kara's arms, she held up a finger to pause her former assistant. She turned back to James, with whom she’d originally been speaking, and his eyes widened a fraction.

 

“Please tell me I have not been gone long enough for _that_ to have happened,” she said, waving a vague hand in Kara’s general direction. Kara quickly readjusted Gabby in her arms. 

 

“Oh, uh, no, Miss Grant,” Kara interrupted. “I didn’t, um—she’s adopted. Her parents were killed and she sort of, I guess… fell into my guardianship.”

 

Cat looked back at Kara.

 

“Her name’s Gabriella,” James elaborated, and Cat cut her gaze back to him. “We call her Gabby. Kara brings her in to the office most days.”

 

“What an idiotic thing to do,” Cat glowered. At Kara’s furrowed brow, Cat rolled her eyes. “Oh, _come on,_ Kira. You honestly expect people— _men_ , especially—to take you seriously with a baby in your arms? You’re a promising young journalist with a wildly successful career ahead of you, and you’re doing all you can to sabotage yourself by showing everyone every day what a great _mom_ you are. That cardigan isn’t helping, either, might I add. In this industry, people are going to be waiting to tear you down at every turn, and you need to be doing whatever it takes to get ahead, and that means not taking a _baby_ to your place of work. Now, with all that said,” Cat sighed and held out her arms, “give her to me.”

 

Kara soundlessly exchanged a glance with James before passing Gabby into Cat’s outstretched arms.

 

“Gabriella really is a lovely name,” Cat sighed. “Not as nice as _Catherine_ , but I suppose if she’s adopted, you weren’t the one to name her?” Kara shook her head. Gabby was captivated by Cat’s necklace, one hand moving to wrap daintily around the pearls. Lightning-fast, Cat grabbed her wrist. “Ah-ah-ah. We don’t want to do that, do we?” Gabby simply blinked, eyes wide and owlish.

 

She turned and began walking briskly away. Kara and James shared a look before following after Cat. Cat had quickly taken to chattering to the baby, giving her life advice as she bounced her gently around the office.

 

“You’re going to do great things, Gabriella,” Cat muttered. “I have a sense about people. Just don’t let them call you Gabby anymore once you hit age ten. It’s a child’s name.”

 

Gabby simply stared up at Cat, eyes wide and shiny. When Cat deposited Gabby back into Kara’s arms, Gabby whined and reached for Cat again.

 

“ _Really?_ ” Kara murmured. Next to her side, James chuckled a little, and Kara elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

 

“Kira, I’d like to see you in my office,” Cat snapped.

 

“I’m pretty sure it’s _my_ office now, Miss Grant,” James joked lightly. Cat whirled, pinning him in place with a glower. He coughed, clapped his hands together. “Anyway, I’ve got some, uh, stuff to get done. I’ll see you later, Kara?”

 

“Yeah,” Kara nodded, following quickly after Cat. When Cat shut the doors to her office, Gabby reached for her again and, without so much as asking, Cat scooped the infant out of Kara’s arms again and sat down at the desk.

 

“I have what many people call a _magnetic personality_ , she can’t help it,” Cat said quickly, settling the baby in her lap and gesturing for Kara to sit. “I am a mother, too, Kara.” It was her use of Kara’s real name that caught her attention. Kara sat up a little straighter. “So I know how it is. When they’re this little, you just want to…” Cat’s voice verged on something approaching wistful, and she absently bounced Gabby a little in her lap, meeting the baby’s brown eyes. “Well, you don’t want to miss a single moment. Watching them learn and grow and blossom into actual human beings is an incredible experience, one that I think everyone should get to have should they want to.”

 

Kara nodded. Gabby continued to stare up, awestruck, at Cat.

 

“But,” Cat continued, wistfulness gone and eyes snapping up to Kara over the desk, “you are an incredibly bright, charming, ambitious, up-and-coming reporter at a high-powered publication. In twenty years, you could very well be sitting where I sit right now, and I don’t want to see you throw that all away because you were too busy _mooning_ over your… admittedly _very_ cute baby. Unfortunately, as a woman in this world, careers require sacrifice, and you have to be prepared to sacrifice some of these moments with her if you ever hope to get ahead. I wish I could have brought Carter with me to work every day when he was this age, but I didn’t, because I knew that I would not get to where I wanted to be if I did. And do you think I regret that, Kira?”

 

“I-I don’t know, Miss Grant.”

 

“ _No!_ I do _not_. And that is because now, Carter has _me_ to look up to. Whether you want her to or not, Gabriella will be following the examples you set for her entire life. I wanted Carter to look at me and see that he can do anything he sets his mind to. I _know_ you hope Gabriella will look at you one day and see the same, because every parent feels that way, and maybe that means hiring a nanny for now and missing a couple of milestones. But in the end, it will all be worth it because your daughter will grow up understanding that she can get anything she wants in life because _you_ showed her that _you_ could.” Cat paused, looking back down at Gabby. Her demeanor softened. “You get eighteen years of her living under your roof. I know the feeling of wanting to be present, but you have to remember that you have _time._ You will get plenty of moments with her, so you do not need to be there every second.”

 

“I understand, Miss Grant.”

 

“I should hope you do,” Cat replied, handing Gabby over the desk to Kara. “She _is_ very cute. Now, I know you have an important job to do, so…”

 

Kara took Gabby out of Cat’s hands. She smiled, turned to go. In the doorway, she paused. “Miss Grant?”

 

“Yes, Kira?” Cat seemed to have made herself quite at home in James’s office, flipping through the stacks of paper on his desk.

 

Kara beamed at her former boss. “It’s really good to see you again.”

 

“I’m not back to stay,” Cat informed Kara, “although I will be around for the next couple of days. So if you _do_ happen to need someone to watch Gabriella while you get a nanny in order—”

 

“Oh, thank you so much, Miss Grant, but I could never impose on you like that!”

 

“I wasn’t talking about myself,” Cat said haughtily. “I was talking about Carter. He’s fourteen now, and capable of handling an infant for a few hours at a time. You know I have better things to do while I’m here than _babysit._ ” Cat looked Kara up and down. “You do have a job do to, don’t you? Go on.”

 

And with that, Kara hurried out of Cat’s office, snickering with James on her way to her office. By the time she got there, her latte had cooled considerably, and she offered James a spare sticky bun while she called Lena.

 

“Hey, babe, sorry to bother you at work,” Kara began, taking another sip of lukewarm coffee. “I was just thinking… we should probably think about hiring a full-time nanny.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone wants to see Maggie and Alex with the baby (and getting overwhelmed by each other being cute with the baby) right???

“You’re sure this is okay?” Kara asked again, rearranging the countertop for the umpteenth time so that the baby supplies made some kind of coherent sense. “Because if not, it’s no big deal, we can cancel. It’s really—”

 

“ _Kara_ , breathe,” Alex placed a hand on her baby sister’s shoulder. “It’s your first _actual_ night out since you brought her home that doesn’t involve beating up aliens or saving the city from rogue metahumans. You and Lena have been working so hard these past few months. You guys deserve this. Go have fun.”

 

Kara looked at her skeptically. “You’re _sure_ you can handle this?”

 

“God, you really have that little faith in me?” Alex scoffed. “Maggie’s coming over to help out, and Winn and James have also agreed to step in if we need a few more hands on deck. _Which we won't._  I’ve also got you, Lena, mom, J'onn, Gabby’s pediatrician, _and_ the DEO on speed-dial if anything goes wrong. _Which it won’t_.”

 

“Okay… Wait, wait, wait! One last thing.” Kara turned around. “Do I look okay?”

 

“You look _fine_ ,” Alex groaned. “Now _seriously_ , get your girl and go!”

 

“Are you ready to leave?” Lena called, strolling down the hallway in a tight black dress and six-inch heels. Rubies dripped from her ears and around her neck, the same color as her lipstick and, when Alex turned to look back at her sister, Kara’s face. Alex elbowed her sister knowingly, and Kara scowled at Alex only for a second before her focus was back on her girlfriend. Lena held Gabby over one shoulder, wincing as the baby tugged lightly on one of her earrings. “Thank you again for agreeing to watch her for us, Alex,” Lena gushed, trying to detach the little hand from her jewelry without pulling too hard. After a few moments of struggling, she hurried to deposit Gabby into Alex’s arms. Gabby made a shrill, indignant screeching noise at the change.

 

“Oh, shush,” Kara ducked to run a hand over Gabby’s cheek. “You love your Auntie Alex.” Gabby looked up at Alex, seeming to consider her mother’s statement for a moment before finding it acceptable. She leaned forward and rested her head on Alex’s collarbone, done fussing for now. Kara straightened up, refocusing on her sister. “We should be back almost definitely before midnight, but we’ll call you if any plans change. Thanks again, Alex.”

 

“Not that you need it,” Lena added, “but her nighttime routine is written out on a notepad along with her things on the counter. It’s a leftover from when Carter Grant watched her for a few hours when I had to work late, but it might be helpful nonetheless.”

 

“Thank you, Lena,” Alex said. “Now both of you _go_ , before I have to _physically_ kick you two out.”

 

Kara and Lena shared one last skeptical glance before Lena smiled and looped her arm through Kara’s. They paused in the doorway to glance back again, and Alex leveled a glare at Kara, who ushered Lena all the way through the door and slammed it shut behind them.

 

“Looks like it’s just you and me, kiddo,” Alex whispered, pressing a kiss to Gabby’s hair. A rapid knock sounded on the door, and Alex groaned, “Or not! How much do you wanna bet it’s one of your _paranoid moms_ , huh? I’m pretty sure Kara thinks I’m gonna kill you.” She spoke softly to Gabby as she moved to answer the door. “Kara, I already told you—”

 

“Not Kara,” Maggie announced with a grin. Alex smiled back. “I ran into Little Danvers and her arm candy in the hallway, though. Looks like they’re in for a fun evening.”

 

“I hope so,” Alex grumbled.

 

“And _who might this be?_ ” Maggie’s voice jumped an octave when her eyes landed on Gabby. Alex hoisted Gabby up, repositioning her so she could meet Maggie’s eyes.

 

“Hey Gabby, can you say hi to Aunt Maggie?”

 

“Hello, Gabby,” Maggie said softly, waving her hand gently. “It’s very nice to see you again!” Maggie glanced up at Alex. "I don't think I've seen her since they had  _just_ brought her home. She's grown so much!"

 

"She has, hasn't she?" Alex beamed. "Gabs, can you say hi?"

 

Gabby’s eyes narrowed, and she seemed to scrutinize every inch of Maggie’s face before trying to turn back to Alex to hide her face.

 

“Stop that,” Alex chided gently, tickling Gabby’s side with one hand and eliciting a small giggle. “I _know_ you’re not shy. This is your Aunt Maggie, babe!” When Alex readjusted Gabby again, the girl buried her face in the side of Alex’s neck, still giggling softly to herself, and Alex smoothed a hand across Gabby’s shoulders.

 

Maggie's face morphed into a look Alex couldn't quite decode, eyes a touch unfocused and smile definitely dopier than usual. Alex hurried to swing the door open wider.

 

“Sorry! Come in! You’ve seen Lena’s apartment before, right? I can’t remember if you’ve been in here…”

 

“I haven’t, really,” Maggie confessed. “Not frequently since they adopted Littlest Danvers. Shame they stopped hosting Game Night here.”

 

“Ah, well,” Alex said with a grin, “you remember Lena's  _very_ nice, _very_ expensive TV setup, right?”

 

“I came prepared.” Maggie grinned, pulling a couple DVDs out of her purse and finally shutting the door behind them.

 

“For _after_ her nighttime routine,” Alex amended. Maggie glanced warily at the countertop.

 

“Does the nighttime routine involve… _all_ that stuff?”

 

“ _Pfft_ , nah,” Alex laughed. “Kara and Lena are just a little… overprepared, sometimes. This is the first time they’ve actually had a night out to themselves for fun since they adopted her, and I think Kara might be feeling a little guilty about that. She wanted to make sure we had _everything_ we might need, just in case.” Alex rolled her eyes. “But all we really need to do is give her a bath, entertain her for a little bit, and put her to bed. She’s old enough now that she pretty much eats and sleeps at regular times.”

 

“Sounds easy enough,” Maggie said with a shrug. “Let’s hop to it, Danvers.”

 

Alex laced her fingers through Maggie’s as she led the way to the bathroom, handing Gabby to Maggie while she fiddled with getting the bathwater the right temperature. “I don’t know if it’s because she’s an alien or just because she’s a little weirdo, but Gabby only really likes her baths at a _very specific_  temperature, and I can never really get it right.” Gabby almost leapt out of Maggie’s arms and back into Alex’s when Alex stood again, and Alex simply took her back, smoothing some of her fine, wispy hair back. “Hey, I told you already, we _love_ Aunt Maggie!” Alex kissed the top of Gabby’s head again. When she looked up, Maggie was staring with that same weird look as earlier, and she looked quickly away. “What?”

 

“Nothing,” Maggie replied quickly. “I’m just gonna go, uh, make us some tea, or something.”

 

“Tea?” Alex questioned. Maggie was out of the bathroom before she could explain, so Alex simply shrugged and went about undressing Gabby for the bath. She dipped her fingertips in the water and shrugged. “This might be a little warm for your tastes, but you’ll live. It’ll cool off.”

 

As she lowered Gabby into the basin, the infant quickly retracted her feet when her toes hit the lukewarm water. As Alex continued to lower her into the bath, she twisted violently and squealed in complaint.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I figured,” Alex laughed. “We’ll go quick, okay? I promise.”

 

Gabby looked Alex directly in the eye before bursting into full-on tears.

 

“Whoa,” Maggie said from the doorway, placing two mugs down on the bathroom counter. “What’s the commotion, little dude?”

 

“The water is just a _little_ too warm for her liking, and like I said, she’s ridiculously picky,” Alex scoffed. “I know she’s adopted and all, but sometimes she is _such_ a little Luthor.”

 

“Let me see if I can help,” Maggie suggested. "I happen to be quite good with babies."

 

"You?" Alex scoffed. Maggie dimpled, smiling sarcastically.

 

"Just watch."

 

Alex quickly made room, and Maggie began to quietly distract Gabby by making up a little story with her bath toys. Something clenched almost painfully in Alex's chest as she watched the way Maggie’s eyes lit up, the way Gabby calmed and paid attention. The corner of Gabby’s mouth twitched in a little smile, and she reached for one of the toys in Maggie’s hands, which Maggie graciously relinquished. Alex knew she should’ve been taking the opportunity to shampoo Gabby’s short, fine hair, but instead she found herself leaning over and pressing a kiss to the corner of Maggie’s mouth.

 

“What was that for?” Maggie teased, dimpling.

 

“You’re right—I didn’t know you were so cute with babies,” Alex confessed.

 

“I didn’t know _you_ were so cute with babies,” Maggie replied.

 

"Just this one," Alex admitted, running a hand through her hair.

 

“Well, regardless," Maggie suggested, "let’s finish up bath time and we can be cute with this baby _without_ the risk of her throwing a fit.”

 

“You clearly don’t know Gabby as well as I do,” Alex smirked. “There’s _always_ a risk of her throwing a fit.”

 

Without Maggie's helpful distraction, Gabby had time to realize that she was still in the bath. As if proving Alex's point, she shrieked and twisted, splashing Alex and Maggie and shooting a scowl in their direction.

 

"Okay, okay," Alex groaned. "It'll be over soon."

 

They hurried to finish bathing Gabby, Alex plucking her out of the bath and Maggie receiving her in a fluffy towel. Together, they dressed Gabby in her fuzziest pajama set, giggling at the baby's fascination with the texture of the soft fleece. They let her crawl around in the living room, Alex drinking tea on the couch while Maggie periodically swooped her up in her arms and spun her around to Gabby's squealing delight. The couple snuggled Gabby between them on Lena's fancy couch as she began to grow more obviously sleepy.

 

“Let’s watch a movie,” Maggie suggested, sounding a little tired herself. Alex hummed, lacing her fingers with Maggie’s. “Lena has a great TV, right?”

 

“The _best_ ,” Alex agreed emphatically. “Let’s watch Blair Witch. You brought that, right?”

 

"Yeah..." Maggie gave her a funny look. “Don’t you think that’s a little scary for the kid?”

 

“She’s asleep anyway,” Alex retorted. “Plus, she’s too young to understand what’s going on.”

 

With another skeptical glance at Alex, Maggie sighed. “Okay, but I’m gonna put her in her crib first. Her nursery is the room closest to us in the hallway, right?”

 

Alex nodded. Maggie lifted Gabby off the couch, and the baby quickly nuzzled close to Maggie’s warmth. That clenching feeling was back in Alex’s chest, and for a moment, she imagined not Gabby, but a baby that was hers and Maggie’s in her place. She shook her head, trying to displace the warm blush she could feel crawling across her cheeks, but the thought stayed put as Maggie bounced off down the hall and put Gabby to bed for real. When Maggie came back, she quickly settled her head in Alex’s lap and let her girlfriend run her hands through her hair.

 

“You gonna press play?” Maggie asked after several minutes of pensive silence.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Alex nodded, but her eyes were focused somewhere else and her hands paused.

 

“Something on your mind, Danvers?” Maggie asked, poking Alex's thigh.

 

“Yeah, um…” Alex shook her head, trying to find the words. “What do you think about… kids? In general?”

 

“In general?” Maggie snuggled her head further into Alex's lap, and Alex resumed running her fingers through Maggie's hair. “I think most kids are cute. I’m generally a fan. What about you?”

 

“I… I guess I like _some_ kids. Like Gabby,” Alex answered. “But I mean, what do you think about _kids?_ ”

 

“Are you…” Maggie sucked in a breath, sitting up all of a sudden. “Are you asking what I think about _having_ kids?”

 

Alex shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know! I just—you were so cute with Gabby tonight, and I always wanted to be Gabby’s cool aunt but I never really thought a lot about being someone’s cool _mom_ , but I was thinking that maybe if it was with _you_ then maybe I could—I mean, we _are_ married, but we never really—”

 

“Babe,” Maggie smiled, kissing her wife’s cheek. “You’re doing that Kara thing.”

 

Alex blushed. “I am, aren’t I?”

 

“Yeah, but it’s sweet.” Maggie wrapped her arms around Alex’s middle, leaning heavily on her shoulder. “I think this is a topic we’ll want to revisit over the course of _several_ conversations, but I think I could see myself having kids with you. Not that you, me, and the neighbor cat who sometimes comes in through the open window don’t already make a cute family, but, you know.”

 

“I really love you,” Alex sighed, kissing Maggie’s temple. Maggie grinned.

 

“Well, shucks, babe. I love you, too.”

 

“We should start the movie,” Alex suggested.

 

“We really should,” Maggie agreed. “But don’t think this conversation is over, Danvers.”

 

“I don’t _want_ the conversation to be over,” Alex replied, haughtily teasing. “Because I—I _do_ think I want to have kids with you, Mags. I just also _really_ want to watch this movie.”

 

“Okay, fair enough.”

 

The movie was almost over when Kara and Lena stumbled back through the front door, their nice hair and makeup from earlier in the night a little mussed. They found Alex and Maggie tangled up on the couch, and Kara squeaked and covered her eyes when she realized it was one of those scary movies Alex loved on the TV. Lena shushed her, leading Kara into the hallway and nudging her into the nursery. They found Gabby asleep in her crib, and the pair took a moment to look at their peaceful daughter before creeping back into their own room. They were careful not to wake any of their family as they tiptoed, a little tipsy, back to their room for the rest of the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabs is such a mama's girl lol

When Lena awoke to the shrill alarm of Gabby’s crying, it took her several moments to orient herself.

 

She was alone in bed, and Kara was out—on Supergirl duty, no doubt—and Gabby was screaming.

 

_Screaming?_ She’d been sleeping through the night for _months_ now! Lena shook sleep off just as suddenly, disentangling herself from the sheets and vaulting out of bed and sprinting down the hallway to her daughter’s room. A dozen scenarios ran through her head, and her fists were clenched tight before she even reached Gabby’s doorway. Nightmare visions of Cadmus finding out about Gabby, finding out about Kara and  _her_ , filled her brain. Nothing, however, prepared her for the sight of… well, _nothing._

 

There was nothing in the room, and though Gabby was wailing, she seemed to be still asleep. She writhed sharply, bicycling her legs and tangling herself in her blanket. Lena realized with sudden clarity that Gabby was having a nightmare.

 

Logically, she knew night terrors were common in babies and toddlers, but Lena was also intimately familiar with nightmares herself. Even as an adult, she knew what it was like to wake up in a cold sweat, or in tears. She hovered in the doorway, uncertain for a moment about whether to wake Gabby.

 

A sniveling whimper from her daughter wrenched Lena into action. She hurried across the room, lifting Gabby into her arms without another thought and marched quickly back to her and Kara’s room. At the sudden motion, Gabby blinked her eyes open, focusing on nothing for a moment and then on Lena’s face. The distressed look Gabby gave her almost broke her heart. She laid the girl next to her on the bed as Gabby began to cry again.

 

“Shh,” Lena smoothed her fine hair back from her face. “ _Shh_ , I’m here, love.”

 

“Mama,” Gabby’s hands scrabbled for her, and Lena engulfed the small palms in her one of her own hands. Gabby’s brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and snot lined her upper lip. Lena was quick to wipe her face gently with one of the bedsheets, promising herself she’d change them tomorrow.

 

“Did you have a scary dream, love?” Lena asked, and Gabby nodded vigorously. Lena stroked Gabby’s face softly, and Gabby sniffled again. “It wasn’t real, sweet. It was just a dream.” Gabby nodded again, though she looked unconvinced, eyes roving Lena’s face. Her face crumpled again and she freed her hands from Lena’s and reached forward to touch Lena’s face. She gulped down another sob. “Hey, hey. It’s over now. It wasn’t real.”

 

“Mama,” Gabby sniffled, palm tracing Lena’s cheek down to her jaw, eyes locked on Lena’s face, and Lena was struck with the sudden realization that Gabby’s nightmare had something to do with _her._

 

“Oh, love,” Lena pulled Gabby close, almost smothering her against her chest. “It’s okay. I’m here, now. I’m here.”

 

She let Gabby cry herself out against her chest, wrapping her arms around the little one until her breathing steadied.

 

“Are you alright now, darling?” Lena murmured, kissing Gabby’s forehead. Gabby only clenched her hands in Lena’s shirt, nosing into her hair. “Would you like to sleep in here tonight, with me?” Gabby, eyes fluttering shut, nodded once. “Alright, love. You’re alright.”

 

Lena waited until Gabby was fully asleep before letting herself drift off, too. One hand stayed protectively planted on Gabby’s torso, just in case Gabby needed her to wake up again. She curled herself around her daughter—a wall, she thought. She would make herself into a wall to protect the sacred city of Gabby’s happiness.

 

An hour later, she woke again to a dip in the mattress. When she blinked her eyes open, Kara was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling her red boots off in the light of her bedside lamp and looking exhausted but no worse for wear.

 

“Did I wake you?” Kara whispered, and Lena smiled. She pushed a curtain of messy hair out of her face.

 

“Gabby beat you to the punch, unfortunately,” she whispered back, still maintaining some tactile contact with her daughter even as she sat up.

 

“Yeah, I noticed she was in here,” Kara said. “Something happen?”

 

“Bad nightmare,” Lena replied, running a hand down Gabby’s soft arm. At Kara's inquisitive look, she elaborated: “Her, not me.”

 

“Ah.” Kara unclipped her cape, tossing it on the ground with a promise to herself to fold it in the morning. Her skirt, shirt, and tights followed in much the same fashion as she pulled on one of Lena’s loose t-shirts instead and flicked off the lamp. “That’s normal, right? I remember her pediatrician said that’s normal for toddlers, I think. Night terrors, or something.”

 

“Doesn’t make it any easier to watch,” Lena hummed, snuggling close to Gabby again. “I loathe nightmares. I hate that she has them, too.”

 

“If we’re lucky, she’ll grow out of them,” Kara said, snuggling in close on the other side so the pair of them sandwiched Gabby, “and they’ll be few and far between.”

 

“Yes,” Lena agreed. “I certainly hope so.”

 

“But you took care of it, though,” Kara observed. “She was sleeping peacefully when I got in. I mean, you both were.”

 

Lena nodded. “I know you’re not supposed to wake them from night terrors, but I couldn’t help it. She was so afraid…”

 

“Yeah,” Kara yawned. “I know you. You always do the right thing.”

 

Lena wanted to argue with such a gross simplification of her behavior, but she was tired. She kissed the back of Kara’s hand instead and smiled into her pillow. They’d talk about this new development in the morning, figure out what was going on with Gabby and whether it was cause for concern. For now, she and her family were safe and happy, and she was determined to keep them that way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> once she starts talking I promise she never shuts up

Gabby’s first word had been _Mama._

 

It was on the early side as far as first words go, probably around the time she hit six and a half months old. Kara and Lena quickly came to understand that when she said it, she could be referring to Kara  _or_ Lena, or either, or both. Lena had still been gunshy and nervous about her interactions with Gabby at that point, only a month and a half into being her parent, but when Gabby pointed those big brown eyes at her and murmured a quiet, “Mama,” she knew for sure she was a goner from then on.

 

She’d been nervous but she’d been _excited_ —her daughter was a _prodigy_ , talking so soon! Though she often kept quiet about Gabby around work, she’d gushed to Jess that morning coming in. Her daughter was a certifiable _genius_ , who’d be talking loops around politicians and Pulitzer-winners in no time at all!

 

But then months passed, and Gabby didn’t seem to say much else. She picked up ‘ _please_ ’ at some point because she learned it got her what she wanted a little faster, but other than that, she didn’t say words that weren’t “Mama.”

 

“Honey, she’s an _alien_ ,” Kara soothed Lena one night, rubbing a hand across her shoulders while Lena chewed a thumbnail and watched Gabby suck on a teething toy. “The DEO has done research on the Tergari, but there aren't many on Earth. We just don’t know much about her species. She could just be on a little bit of a different timetable from human babies.”

 

“I just worry,” Lena confessed. “And I don’t care, personally, if she ever says another word that isn’t ‘Mama,’ but I just want to make sure we’re doing everything right— _I’m_ doing everything right. If there’s some _reason_ —“ Lena cut herself off, eyes not leaving Gabby across the room. “I just want what’s best for her.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Kara said again, scratching gently between Lena’s shoulderblades and leaning their heads together. “Not _yet_ , at least.”

 

Across the room, Gabby had been working on climbing to wobbly legs, supporting herself on the coffee table, and Lena smiled at her efforts. She extricated herself from Kara’s loose grip and hurried over to offer assistance to Gabby, who smiled up at her and practically fell into her hands. Lena helped the infant toddle across the room to Kara, Gabby gripping tight to her fingers and swaying like a drunken sailor, and when they reached the couch, Lena swooped her up. She spun her in a tight circle, showering her face with kisses, and Gabby had simply laughed out a breathy, “ _Mama!_ ” Kara stood up and wrapped them both in a bear hug.

 

Lena decided to stop worrying about it after that—as much as she was capable, at very least.  Still, she was utterly shocked one evening while she was preparing dinner when Gabby, from her high-chair, sighed a beleaguered little sigh and busted out a full sentence: “Mama, can I have a pancake? I’m _hungry._ ”

 

The words were a little sloppy, the consonants all mixed up, but it was clear enough that Lena whipped around, dropping the metal spoon she’d been holding to the floor with a clatter. At Lena’s shocked look, Gabby seemed to worry she’d done something wrong, and her brow crinkled quickly, tears filling her eyes. “ _Mama?_ ”

 

“Oh, darling!” Lena rushed to her quickly, wiping the tears off her cheeks. “Don’t cry, sweetheart, it’s okay! Mama just got startled. You’re okay, love.”

 

“Mama, _please?_ ” Gabby held up her arms, a demand to be carried and snuggled, and Lena obliged quickly, unbuckling the child from her high chair and pressing her to her chest. Gabby unceremoniously yanked a strand of Lena’s hair and Lena tried not to wince since Gabby began to cry harder once in her arms.

 

“It’s okay, sweet,” Lena said again, kissing Gabby’s temple and rocking her gently side to side. “You were talking so well, just now. Mama’s _so_ proud of you, sweetheart.” Gabby shook her head against Lena’s shoulder, and a little laugh fluttered out of Lena’s lungs. “ _Yes_ , I am.” She whispered against Gabby’s hair. “ _You_ are Mama’s smartest girl.”

 

Gabby lifted her face away from Lena’s shoulder to look her mother in the eye. Lena swiped a gentle thumb under one of Gabby’s eyes, wiping away a tear there. “Really, Mama?”

 

Lena laughed low in her throat, pressing her forehead to Gabby’s. “ _Yes_ , really. I am _very_ proud of you.”

 

Gabby laughed wetly, sniffling again before muttering, “Mama, fire.”

 

“What, love?”

 

“Fire.” Gabby pointed over Lena’s shoulder, and Lena whirled right as the smoke alarm went off.

 

“ _Shit._ ” Lena placed Gabby on the floor and was fumbling for the fire extinguisher when Kara strode in through the balcony door in full Supergirl regalia and used her freeze-breath to put out the small stovetop fire.

 

“Mama!” Gabby reached for Lena again, who slowly bent and scooped her back up. Kara raised an eyebrow at the pair. Gabby nuzzled Lena’s neck, and Lena smiled breathlessly and a little sheepishly at Kara. Kara held up a couple bags, placing them gently on the counter next to the singed pot of _whatever_ Lena had been making.

 

“You’re lucky I already decided to pick up takeout on my way home,” Kara explained. “What happened?”

  
Lena bit her lip, a little ashamed. “I had it under control,” Lena said finally. “I just… got a little distracted.”

 

“By what?”

 

“ _Shit_ , Mama,” Gabby murmured, reaching for Kara. Kara’s eyebrows crept even closer to her hairline, and Lena giggled softly, passing the child over.

 

“So, guess who’s suddenly talking now?”

 

“Mama?” Gabby tapped Kara’s collarbone lightly. “Mama, I want a pancake.”

 

Kara kissed Gabby’s temple, but her expression stayed a little grouchy and lingered on Lena for a moment. She finally bounced Gabby on her hip and offered her daughter a tight-lipped smile, voice going soft. “I got some scallion pancakes, sweetie—you can have those for dinner. But first I want you, me, and _Mama_ to have a conversation about words we _shouldn’t say._ ” Those blue eyes darted up to Lena.

_Not fair._

 

“Darling, why don’t we just have dinner first,” Lena began diplomatically, though she reached out a hand for Kara anyway, which Kara took instinctively to reassure Lena she really wasn’t _that_ mad, “so the food doesn’t get cold?”

 

Kara sighed. She glanced between her two girls, shook her head. “What am I going to do with you guys, huh?”

 

“Turn on the TV and eat dinner with us on the couch?” Lena purred, grabbing the takeout bags with her free hand before pulling Kara towards the living room.

 

“ _Fine_ ,” Kara rolled her eyes. “But we’re still talking about no-no words later.”

 

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Supergirl,” Lena sat down, tugging Kara with her. Gabby wriggled out of Kara’s arms and tucked herself in between her moms. Lena began to unpack the takeout bags, finding the box of scallion pancakes and passing it to Kara to tear up for Gabby. Gabby grinned a toothy smile up at Kara as Kara passed her the box.

 

“What do we say?” Kara raised an eyebrow.

 

“ _Please?_ ” Gabby’s brow knit. Kara placed the box down, and Gabby’s expression relaxed. She smiled and reached for the food with her hands. “ _Mmm, pancakes!_ ”


End file.
